Everclear – The Albums Ranked Worst to First

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Everclear has been around since 1991 and was started by leader Art Alexakis.  When they were at their height, the main three guys included Art, Craig Montoya and Greg Eklund and this to me is the classic line-up.  This was the band at its peak.  All the hits you know, “Father of Mine”, “AM Radio” , “Santa Monica” and “Wonderful” just to name a few.

After the disappointing sales and reception of the band’s 2003 album, Slow Motion Daydream, Craig and Greg left the band.  Thankfully, Art continued Everclear with  now a revolving door of musicians.  But don’t kid yourself, the band is Art’s and it doesn’t matter who the players are, you want Art’s vocals and sound as that is all that matters.

I am going to go through and rank 12 albums which does include a Covers Album and a couple albums of re-recordings as those aren’t technically compilations.  I won’t review any live albums or ones listed as greatest hits.  I figured these 12 best represent that band and are what should be ranked.  So let’s get started and I hope you enjoy.

WORST – WORLD OF NOISE (1993):

 

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Queen + Adam Lambert – Concert Review (Charlotte, NC – August 23, 2019)

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On a dark stormy night in August, Queen + Adam Lambert came riding in to town for the very last show of their Rhapsody Tour.  Yes, Charlotte, NC was able to bid farewell to this legend of a band who has seen a massive resurgence thanks in large part to the movie ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and in small part due to the current singer Adam Lambert.

There is no exciting story to tell leading up to the show except the Rain Gods were nice to my daughter and I by not raining on us.  We got in to the Spectrum Center and about 5 minutes later the skies opened up.  People were coming in dripping wet, but no one cared because everyone was there to have a good time and listening to everyone’s favorite band, Queen.

When we finally arrive to our seats after a long line at the merch table and a long line at the bathroom and a short line at the refreshment stand to grab a couple of $5 waters (each), we were greeted to this…

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A giant crown wrapping the stage.  It looked so real and like it was made out of metal.  Impressive.  Even more impressive was the fact it was a giant TV screen.  The graphics, detail, clarity, hell everything about it was impressive.  It looked 3D without the glasses…amazing.

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My Sunday Song – “Getcha Rocks Off” by Def Leppard

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For My Sunday Song #158, I bring to you “Getcha Rocks Off” from the band’s 1979 debut E.P. simply known as the Def Leppard E.P.  The song would go on to be re-recorded for the band’s debut full length album ‘On Through the Night’ but there it is known as “Rocks Off”.

What is cool about this song?  Well, everything actually.  It is as early Def Leppard as you can get.  It is raw, it is rough and it completely gets your rocks off…really!  The band sounds so young, so hungry and so damn good.  Steve Clark’s guitar riff instantly grabs hold of you and won’t let go.  And let’s talk about that solo.  Damn, Steve was immediately letting the world know that this band meant business.  There is a little back and forth on the guitars with Steve and Pete Willis and then Steve just tears into that solo with a blistering pace and so much fire and passion.  This is guitar rock at its best.

Another cool thing about this song is the drumming.  This is not Rick Allen on drums. This was before he joined the band.  The drummer on this is Frank Noon.  Frank  was a session drummer and wasn’t really a full member of the band.  He wasn’t the first drummer either as that was Tony Kenning, but he isn’t on this record so no more about him.  Frank did a great job and pounded the hell out of those drums.

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Lyrically there isn’t much to the song.  It is a pure rock & roll song about a beautiful woman that comes to the dressing room door and is looking smoking hot.  She wants to get her rocks off.  When the band goes on stage the girl is in the front and she has lots of pretty friends, enough for every one in the band…funny how that works out.  This song is really great for the music, not the lyrical content for sure.

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Friday New Releases – August 23rd

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Happy Friday.  Welcome to the new releases and I am sorry, but there are not a lot this week.  Why?  Because no one wants to go up against Taylor Swift.  She will rule the world this week.  That doesn’t mean I don’t have something because I do and it is going to kick some major ass.  Sorry Swift, this will get played…yours won’t…except with my girls so I will hear it, but not by choice.  What I will hear is in Blue.  I hope there is something for you. Let me know what you like and if I missed anything.  Thanks and have a great weekend!

  • 81s2r82IqqL._SX522_.jpg  Crobot – Motherbrain – (Mascot Label Group):  The boys from PA are back with their fourth studio album.  If you like your hard rock with a little funk then come on over as you won’t be disappointed.  This album is going on first thing this morning on the way to work…cranked as loud as I can take it.  Each album has gotten better and I hope this one follows that trend.

  • 61bc1iAwLFL._AC_UL115_  Taylor Swift – Lover – (Taylor Swift):  Okay, I will have to listen to this and it is a really huge release so I will mention it.  My prediction is that it won’t do as well as her previous releases as I think she has reached her peak a couple album ago.  I am not saying it will be bad, I am saying we have probably heard it all before and she is rehashing old sounds.  I think the days of Swift Superiority are coming to an end especially when you have fresh voices like Billie Eilish starting to rule the airwaves.

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Turntables & Vinyl #21 – Colored Vinyl

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The typical vinyl is black.  It is a beautiful color and when I see it, I want to drop a needle on it and give it a spin.  It draws me in and all I care about is the music that it holds and it needs to be heard, right now and very loud.  There is nothing better.

Or is there???

Whenever a band seems to put out an album nowadays, they are always putting out colored editions…and sometimes many different colored versions (Ace Frehley, I am talking to you).  And I want them!!!  I don’t go get them, but I want them.

Now, when I find I have a choice between a plain, old, boring black vinyl and a vibrant, elaborate, colored vinyl, I typically pick the colored vinyl.  Why?  Because they are so pretty!!  And different.  Different is good.  It can be exciting and invoke so many emotions and feelings.

Why am I talking about this?

No reason, other than I wanted to show off all the different colored vinyl I have in my collection so far.  Maybe not all, but as many as I can before I tire of putting this post together.

What is the most popular colored vinyl I have in my collection?

WHITE!!!

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Deep Purple – ‘Come Taste the Band’ – Album Review (The David Coverdale Series)

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Ritchie Blackmore left the band after the last album, ‘Stormbringer’, due to creative differences with David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes.  I find this funny considering Ritchie brought them in to help take the band in a new direction and Ritchie ended up not liking that direction.  So Deep Purple was done…or were they?

David talked Jon Lord and Ian Paice to continue and they did.  Now before they could continue, they needed a new guitar player and in comes Tommy Bolin, a bloody American.  This upset quite a few diehard UK Purple fans.  And probably part of the reason the album didn’t do that well.

David had heard Tommy’s playing on Jazz fusion drummer Billy Cobham’s solo album called ‘Spectrum’ and thought he would be perfect.  And we all know now that David has an ear for great guitarists (can you say John Sykes and Steve Vai to name a couple). Tommy was a great guitar player and it is too bad his heroin addiction would take a life way too soon a little over a year after the album’s release.

Deep Purple would continue and this would end up being the first Deep Purple album to not feature either Ritchie Blackmore or even Ian Gillan.  As a result, a lot of people don’t really consider this a Deep Purple album.  Now that is crazy because if they consider ‘Burn’ to be a Deep Purple album, then this one is as well as the sound and feel is so similar to that album and quite possibly could be better.  I know I might be in the minority, but I really like this album.

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The Original vs. The Cover – “Proud Mary”

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For the next edition of The Original vs. The Cover, we are going with the classic song “Proud Mary” originally done by Creedence Clearwater Revival and covered by Ike & Tina Turner.  The song was written by John Fogerty and released in January 1969 on the band’s album ‘Bayou Country’.  This song has had 100’s of covers made of it, but in 1969 alone, there were 35 covers…35!!!  Unbelievable.

The song was written by Fogerty after he was discharged from the Army in 1967 which was the the “good job” he left in the city.  “Proud Mary” is the name of the River Boat and the song is about that journey down the river with the big water wheel rolling around and around pushing them down the river.  The song went to #2 for CCR and #4 for Ike & Tina on Billboard Hot 100 charts which is pretty respectable for both.

But enough about that.  Let us focus on the song and which version is better.  We will start as we usually do with the Original and then discuss the Cover ending with a wonderful Verdict of which one I like more.  And away we go…

CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL

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My Sunday Song – “Blood Runs Cold” by Def Leppard

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For My Sunday Song #157, “Blood Runs Cold” from the 1996 album ‘Slang’ is our song of discussion this week.  The song is certainly a deep cut as it was never a single and not sure if they played it live.  ‘Slang’ was a highly underrated album and was at a time when Grunge had killed the 80’s rock so Lep went out and did their own thing.  Most people wanted more of the same, but this was from it. This song is a ballad, but not like any ballad they had done before.

The song is another tribute to their fallen comrade, Steve Clark.  “Blood Runs Cold” was written by Joe Elliott and Phil Collen and this is the second tribute they had written for Steve, the first being “White Lightning” which we discussed several weeks back.  This one was a cold, feeling ballad full of sadness and emptiness for missing their friend.

It really is a dark song and I love how the bass playing by Rick Savage is really the focused instrument.  Just give a listen to how he plays the song and how the notes are hit with the right tone and timing.  He does a stellar job with this song.

Joe’s sadness shines through as he sings the lyrics and I love in the middle of the song, Phil’s backing vocals sound amazing and adds an extra level of pain to the lyrics with his delivery of the lyrics.  Then the guitar solo also has the sad feel to it as well.  It is really a heartbreaking song especially when you listen to the lyrics.

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Friday New Releases – August 16th

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Another Friday of new releases.  Not the best day for releases. There are not a bunch and not a bunch I am interested in either.  Which is probably good as I am driving back from vacation today with my family and they won’t want to listen to anything I want anyway (unless they fall asleep and then I can play what I want).  My choices are highlighted in Blue.  Let me know what interests you or if there is anything I missed. Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend.

  • 71UD301JhSL._SS500_  The Parlor Mob – Dark Hour – (Britannia Row Recordings):  A hard rock band out of New Jersey that formed around 2004. It is modern hard rock and I have to admit I liked their first two albums so after a long break, the band is back after 8 years since the last full length album (3 years since an E.P.). I am interested to hear what they have to offer now after such a long break.  I haven’t listened to anything yet so not sure what to expect, but if it is anything like ‘Dog’, I am in.

  • 91Z6a1B7KQL._SX522_.jpg  King Gizzard & Lizard Wizard – Infest the Rats’ Nest – (Flightless Records):  First up in my car this week will be the new one from this Experimental, Psychedelic Rock band who puts out more music than anyone.  Hell a year or so ago they put out 5 albums in one year!!  Who does that??  Always worth a spin so this one will get one first thing.

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Kiss – All The Way At The Ball Room (Bootleg Series) – Album Review

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This piece of Kiss Bootleg I found at my local independent record store called Lunchbox Records.  It is Kiss from February 7th, 1995 and was recorded at the Hilton Hotel Ballroom in Melbourne, Australia while they were down under on tour.  The album is an acoustic show and this is a collection of outtakes from that show.

The line-up is Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons of course and since this is pre-reunion, it also includes Bruce Kulick and Eric Singer.  A great non-makeup lineup.  The band sounds great and even Paul is singing his heart out.  The recording I believe is an audience recording only due to the loudness of the crowd, but let me tell you it sounds freaking awesome.

The crowd is really in to and at times it feels like a campfire singalong.  The band is definitely enjoying themselves as they are interacting with the crowd and seem to be having a blast.

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The set is a single LP and includes a full size poster in with the album. The picture is of the front cover so not something different from what you already see…

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